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Characterization of H3N6 avian influenza virus isolated from a wild white pelican in Zambia

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Abstract

We characterized an influenza virus isolated from a great white pelican in Zambia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all of its gene segments belonged to the Eurasian lineage and that they appear to have evolved in distinct geographical regions in Europe, Asia, and Africa, suggesting reassortment of virus genes maintained in wild aquatic birds whose flyways overlap across these continents. It is notable that this virus might possess some genes of the same origin as those of highly pathogenic H7 and H5 viruses isolated in Eurasia. The present study underscores the need for continued monitoring of avian influenza viruses in Eurasia and Africa.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Zambia Wildlife Authority for supporting the wild bird influenza A surveillance program in Zambia. We also thank K. Matsuno, H. Miyamoto, A. Ohnuma, and A. Yokoyama for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by the Program of Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Global Epidemiology, Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Kita-20, Nishi-10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan

    Edgar Simulundu, Daisuke Tomabechi, Akihiro Ishii, Yuka Suzuki, Ichiro Nakamura, Hirofumi Sawa, Chihiro Sugimoto, Kimihito Ito, Hiroshi Kida & Ayato Takada

  2. Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, 32379, Lusaka, Zambia

    Aaron S. Mweene, Ichiro Nakamura, Hirofumi Sawa, Chihiro Sugimoto & Ayato Takada

  3. Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia

    Bernard M. Hang’ombe

  4. Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia

    Akihiro Ishii & Yuka Suzuki

  5. Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Hiroshi Kida

  6. OIE Reference Laboratory for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, Sapporo, Japan

    Hiroshi Kida

  7. Zambia Wildlife Authority, Kafue Road, Private Bag 1, Chilanga, Zambia

    Lewis Saiwana

Authors
  1. Edgar Simulundu
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  2. Aaron S. Mweene
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  3. Daisuke Tomabechi
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  4. Bernard M. Hang’ombe
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  5. Akihiro Ishii
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  6. Yuka Suzuki
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  7. Ichiro Nakamura
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  8. Hirofumi Sawa
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  9. Chihiro Sugimoto
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  10. Kimihito Ito
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  11. Hiroshi Kida
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  12. Lewis Saiwana
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  13. Ayato Takada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ayato Takada.

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Simulundu, E., Mweene, A.S., Tomabechi, D. et al. Characterization of H3N6 avian influenza virus isolated from a wild white pelican in Zambia. Arch Virol 154, 1517–1522 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-009-0467-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-009-0467-9

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